Garlic Dill Pickles Recipe - Weekend at the Cottage (2024)

FAQs

What is the best vinegar to use for dill pickles? ›

Most pickle recipes call for distilled white vinegar. This is the clear, colorless vinegar made by fermenting grains. It has a mellow aroma, tart acid flavor and does not affect the color of light-colored vegetables or fruits.

Because we're a cultured lot here at Sweet Genie we were surprised pickles were included in Kosher dietary laws. Well, we were right, it turns out they're not! A "Kosher" pickle in the US just means it has garlic added to the brine.

Pour the all of the liquid over the cucumbers so they're fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (for pickle rounds) or at least 3 hours (for pickle spears). The flavor will continue to develop over the next couple of days. These pickles will keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

For a quick and easy way to help ensure crisp pickles: soak cucumbers in ice water for 4 to 5 hours before pickling. This is a safer method for making crisp pickles. Using lime, or calcium hydroxide, in solution for soaking cucumbers changes the amount of acid in the cucumber tissue.

Because apple cider vinegar is made from apples rather than barley, corn rice or wine, it gives pickles a mellower taste. Using a white distilled vinegar, for example, will create a harsher flavour. But as well as being gentler on your palate, using apple cider vinegar also adds health benefits to pickles.

Quick pickling, or refrigerator pickling, involves a simple boil-and-pour method of pickling. You take all of your ingredients, apart from the product that is being pickled, and bring them to a boil. The heating process helps activate the flavors in the brine and marry them together.

Flavor. Because of the inclusion of garlic and dill as well as natural fermentation, kosher pickles have a unique flavor. They are frequently described as tasting salty and sour. Pickles produced with vinegar that aren't kosher could taste sweeter.

Dill pickles are the most popular type of pickle. They are, quite simply, brined cucumbers flavored heavily with dill. And pickle recipes for dill vary: Some include garlic, pickling spice or even spicy peppers. All, though, rely upon dill whether fresh, dried or in seed form.

McDonald's uses dill pickles in their burgers including in the Big Mac®.

You can reuse it but the results won't be as flavorful as the original pickles. Try adding some extra spices. Also it should work better if you heat the juice to boiling before adding your vegetables.

Why do you soak cucumbers in salt water? ›

Cucumbers are often soaked in salt water to remove some of the naturally high water content. Cucumbers will otherwise give up water and dilute the salad dressing. Unpeeled cucumbers are higher in nutritional value as fiber and vitamin A are lost by peeling.

Sour pickles are fermented without vinegar in a brine of water and pickling salt. If they're eaten before 6 weeks, they're called "half-sour." After that, they're considered fully sour.

The best way to keep your pickles crisp is by taking an extra moment to remove the blossom from the end of the cucumber. By adding this extra cut, you have a crisper pickle. Other ways to ensure a crisp pickle is by adding grape leaves to your jar. I tend to cut off both ends of the cucumber as I quickly process them.

Use Calcium Chloride

Calcium chloride (CaCl2), sometimes known as “pickle crisp”, is a type of salt that helps preserve the crunchiness of food. It is used in the food industry to help preserve the texture of canned fruit and vegetables. Sea salt is sodium chloride. In this case, we're talking about calcium chloride!

The base for pickling vinegars is often white vinegar but it can also be cider vinegar, malt vinegar, or wine vinegar. These vinegars vary in flavour and acidity to allow you to subtly alter the taste of your pickles. Vinegar, or acetic acid, is the base of most pickle recipes.

If you like sweet pickles, you can add sugar to the brine (I personally don't). What kind of vinegar to use? I prefer white distilled vinegar because it is colorless and offers a great tart flavor.

Vinegars come in various acidity levels. Vinegar used for pickling must at least 5% acidity. Look at the label to be sure that the vinegar you are using is 5% acidity.

Now, don't confuse distilled with basic white vinegar, which is stronger and has up to 25% acetic acid. That vinegar is sold exclusively for cleaning purposes and is not a good idea to ingest. However, beyond cooking, distilled white vinegar can be used for many of the same household chores.